This year was a benchmark moment for WWE. WrestleMania 35 had a main event featuring Ronda Rousey, who was defending her WWE Raw Women's Championship, and Charlotte Flair, who was defending her WWE SmackDown Women's Championship, in a triple threat match against Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch. It was a Winner Takes All match.
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At the end of the main event, Becky Lynch left holding both titles above her head.
The prelude to this moment occurred in October 2018, as WWE headlined the first-ever all-women pay-per-view. With Ronda Rousey's popularity from UFC transferring to pro wrestling, WWE Evolution featured matches of superstars from the women's division, both past and present. Rousey was in the main event of the PPV, defending her championship against Nikki Bella.
WWE Evolution 2018
The event also featured Trish Stratus and Lita teaming up for the first time in WWE since 2004, Becky Lynch defeating Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match to retain the SmackDown Women's Championship, Sasha Banks teaming with Bayley and Natalya to defeat the Riott Squad, Toni Storm winning the Mae Young Classic — and would later win the NXT UK Women's Championship at the NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool WWE Network special — and Nia Jax winning a 20-women No. 1 contender battle royal by lastly defeating Ember Moon (Jax lost in her women's title match against Rousey at TLC).
Former women's wrestlers Alundra Blayze, Ivory, and Kelly Kelly also competed on the show.
While the momentum was reaching its peak last year en route to the WrestleMania 35 main event, particularly due to Ronda Rousey and the character change of Becky Lynch, which occurred at SummerSlam, this year is a different story.
Current Status Of WWE Evolution 2019
Currently, there are no plans to bring back WWE Evolution for a second year. When asked on whether the women's PPV will return, Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer stated, "Not on schedule at the moment. However, since then, there have been conflicting reports of there possibly being a chance for it to return.
Additionally, Meltzer reported in an edition the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via Forbes) that WWE business declining during the lead up to WrestleMania created a sour taste of headlining women's wrestling.
While the women's Evolution has certainly taken an identity of its own over the past few years, and women's matches have become featured over the past few years more than ever, the WWE Evolution PPV may take a back seat like this year like the entire women's division has since WrestleMania.
With marquee names such as Ronda Rousey and Stephanie McMahon no longer prominent figures on weekly television, the division has noticeably lost a great deal of star power, which leaves a second year of an all-women's PPV on the back burner.
To further prove this, WWE has not updated the website about the event occurring this year, and media from last year's event fills the page.
